Counterbalance



Dec. 16, 1930. c. H. BERGQUIST cduurmnmmucn Filed Feb. 6, 1929 2 Skin's-Sheet l gwmntoz C. HBeryuia Z' Dec. 16, 1930. c, BERGQUIST 1,785,668

COUNTERBALAICE Filed Feb, 6, 1929 zshuta-sheet 2 Jwumtoc ,Ber g'yu is? Patented Dec. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES H. BERGQUIST, OF OKMULGEE, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOB OI ONE-KALI '10 EMERY A. LOCKE, OF OKMULGEE, OKLAHOMA COUNTEBBALANCE Application fled February 8, 1928. Serial Io. 887,928.

This invention relates to counterbalances for use in connection with. the band wheel assemblies of pumping wells.

Briefly stated, one of the objects of the invention is to provide a band wheel assembly in which a special counterbalance and the usual beam operating crankare secured on opposite ends of the band wheel shaft, to reduce the wear on theband wheel shaft and 1 the bearings therefor.

Another aim is to provide a counterbalance in which the main weighted portion thereof may be connected to or disconnected from the bandwheel shaft with a minimum of effort and loss of time so that when it is necessary to interrupt pumping for the purpose of removing either the' sucker'rods or the tubing, the accruing loss of production will be minimized, it being noted in this particular that the disconnection of the weighted portion of the counterbalance is required to adapt the band wheel assembly to the removal and installation of the rods and the tubing. More specifically, the invention will be found to provide easily operated means by which the main weighted portion of the" counterbalance may be raised from the derrick floor to an operative position or lowered from such operative position and subsequently disconnecte'd from the attaching 85 parent during the course of the following description. V

Inthe accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure l is a side elevation of the improved band wheel assembly, the beam operating crank and the improved counterbalance being shown on opposite ends of the band wheel shaft,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation taken at right angles to Figure 1 and illustrating the improved counterbalance in an operative position,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating the wei hted portion of the counterbalance in position to be lifted into close engagement with the attaching portion of the counterbalance,.the same position being occupied by the weighted portion of the counterbalance during the removal of the same to adapt the band wheel assembly to purposes other than pumping,

Fi' re 4 is a group pers ective illustrating t e weighted portion 0 the counterbalance at rest on the floor and'a sufiicient dist-anceibelow the attaching portion thereof to permit of the free turning of the shaft of the band wheel assembly for purposes other vthan pumping.

In the drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numerals 5 and 6 designate jack posts which are, of course, suitably braced as indicated at 4. As shown in Fi re 1, the upperportions of the posts 5 an 6 are provided with sectional bearings 7 and 8 respectively and through which the band wheel shaft 9 extends. As usual, the band wheel 10 is secured on the shaft 9 between thelposts 5 and 6.

One end of the shaft 9 is provided with the customary crank 11 to which the beam operating link 12 is ivoted, while the opposite end of the shaft isprovided with the 1mproved I counterbalance. This arrangement distributes the strain on the assembly, especially the bearings 7 and 8.

The improved counterbalance comprises an attaching member 14 keyed or otherwise permanently secured on the shaft 9 and adapted for connection with the weighted or body portion 16 through the medium of combination lifting and attaching bolts or arms 18. The

body 16 of the counterbalance comprises a l outward pivotal movement of the bolts 18 holding the bolts in position for ready return i plurality of sections or segments having inj terfitting or interlockingmeans by which shifting of one section "with respect to the others is inhibited.

As shown in Figure 4, the outermost section 20 of the body 16 is extended beyond the edges of the contiguous section and is provided with sockets 22 within which the apertured heads of the bolts 18 are pivoted as indicated at 24. In passin it mi htbe noted that the lower walls 0 the soc ets 22 are in the ath of and are adaptable for en agem'ent Ey the'bolts or arms 18 and limit t e extent to which the bolts 18 may swing outward to an inoperative position, the restriction in the to'the grooves 26 in opposite edges of the bod 16. v

' The attaching member 14 is provided with grooves 28 adapted for re 'stration with the grooves 26 to receive the olts 18.

In initiall installing the improved counterbalance, t e attaching member 14 thereof is connected permanently to the shaft 9 and the weighted or main body portion 16 is then positioned directly beneath the attaching with the attachingmember 14.

member. After this, the arms 18 are swung.

intothe grooves 26 and 28' and the nuts 30 advanced to raise thebodyrportion 16 from the derrick-floor into close and rigid engagement ,4 say, the advancement of the nuts 30 raises the bod 16 to the operative position illustrated.

in ,igure 2' so that a firm interlockin con-' nection is established between the b0 y and the attachin member 14 and between the sections of the od itself. 7

With particu ar reference to the means by which the sections of the counterbalance are held against shifting withrespect to each other, it will be seen. that when the pivoted arms'18- are received within the communieating grooves 26 and 28 the same cooperate actively with thetongue and groove connections between the sections to hold the sections in place. Thus, the arms 18 serve the triplepurpose of roviding for raising and lowering the weig ted ortion '16,- securing the weighted portion rigldly to the attaching member 14 and finally cooperating'with the tongue and groove connections in holding the sections against movement with respect to each other. eating grooves 26 and 28 may. be-made sufiiciently narrow to dispose the side walls thereof close enough to the arms .18 to avoid a preciable movement of one section of'the bo y with res ect to the others.

s For t e original installation of the counterbalance, calculation may be made as to the required and, of course, such calculatakes into consideration, among. other things, the weight of the column of fluidto be lifted. It is a simple matter to provide the at is to Tothis latter end, the communitaching portion 14 to allow of the free turning of the shaft 9.. To provide for the convenient application and removal of the body or weighted portion 16, the bolts 18 are made long enough to extend to apoint above the attaching member when the body 16 is at rest on the derrick floor. 7

During the use of the band wheel assembl for the purposes other than pumping, sue

for example as the cleaning out of the well,

the wei hted ortion 16 will remain at rest in the posltion illustrated in Figure 4 and to provide for the resumption of umping, the.

bolts 18 are moved up to para lel positions within the comunicating grooves 26 and 28so that the subsequent tightening of the nuts 30 willraise the weighted portion tooperative position;

Withreference to the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it willbe apparent that the improved counterbalance ma be applied or removed with a minimum 0 efiort andloss of time .so that the period of shut down of the well and consequent loss of production is not prolonged unduly. The fact that the attaching member 14 may be secured permanently on the shaft '9 makes it possible toprovide' a very rigid connection between these parts so that the counterbalancefisnot 'al-' lowed to work loose. a

The improved counterbalance might be defined as a sectional body in which oneof the sections thereof is provided with means by which the same may be connected permanentlv" to the band wheelshaft of a band wheel assembly, the main weighted portion of the counterbalance being attached securely to the aforesaid end section and the various sections of the counterbalance held in inter iocred position to give the effect of a one piece 0 aving thus described the invention, what I is claimed is:

' 1. In a counterbalance for wheel assembly, a hody'comprising a plurality of sections and an attaching portion,

the attaching portion being provided with means whereby the same may be secured in a relativelypermanent manner to 1 a band wheel shaft, and bolts having pivotal connection with onset the sections and being prouse in connection with the band wheel shaft of a band vided with means engaging said attaching portion, said attaching portion and the sec tions of said body beingprovided with means .ity of interlocked sections and an attaching portion, the attaching portionand said sections being provided with grooves, and bolts received in said grooves and having fastening devices engaging said attaching portion and forming a means by which the sections of said'bodymay be raised into interlockingconnectlon with the attaching portion, said bolts 'bein connected to the outermost section of. said ody.

3. In a counterbala'nce'for use in connection with balance. wheel shafts, a bodyhavby which the sections. of the body may besaid attaching portlon being "ing a plurality of sections and an attaching portion, said attaching portion and said sections being rovided with oppositely located rooves, anti bolts movable laterally into said grooves to hold the sections against movement with respect to each other and being provided with fastening devices engaging said attaching portion and forming a means raised to a position in firm connection with rtion and lowered to a point spaced below t e same, said bolts being pivotall'y connected to the outermost sectlon of said body.

4. In a counterbalance for use in connec-v tion with balance. wheel shafts, a body comprising a plurality of sections and a separate attaching portion, the attaching portion being provided with means whereby the same may be secured in a relatively permanent manner to the band wheel shaft, the o posite edges of said sections and said attac ing rovided with alined grooves, olts detachabFy received in said grooves to join the sections and being provl edwith means to raise the sections in'to fi m engagement. with said attaching portion and to lower the sections toa ointlspa'cedbelow the attaching portion, said bolts having pivotal connection with the outermost section of said body, there being means limiting the outward pivotal movement of said bolts. 5. In a counterbalance for band wheel shafts, a body consisting of a plurality of sections, the outermost one of whichis formed with extensions having sockets, arms having the outer .terminal portions thereof pivotedto said extensionsand-positioned in said sockets, and an attaching member having means whereby-the same may be rigidly attached to the shaft of a band wheel, there being means whereby said arms may be detachably connected to said attaching member.

6. In a counterbalance for band wheels shafts, a body consisting of a plurality of sections, the outermost one of which is formed with extensions having sockets, arms having the outer terminal portions thereof pivoted alined grooves detachably receiving said arms. 4

7 In a counterbalance 'for the shaft of a band wheel, a body consisting of a plurality of sections having grooves, arms pivotall connected to said body and extending throng said grooves, and an attaching member having means whereby the same may be attached to the shaft of a band wheel, said arms being provided with means to secure the innermost section of said body in pressure engagement with said attaching member.

8. In a counterbalance for band wheel shafts, a body consisting of a plurality of sections having grooves opening out throu h op osite ends thereof, arms connected to said b y'and extending through said grooves,

and .an' attaching member having means whereby the same may be secured rigidly to the shaft of a band wheel, said arms being provided with means to secure the innermost section of the body in pressure engagement with said attaching member and to rigidly connect the sections of the body.

9. In a counterbalance for band wheel shafts, a body consisting of a plurality of sections having grooves opening out through opposite ends thereof, arms connected to said body and extending through said grooves, and an attaching member having means whereby the same may be secured rigidly to the shaft of a band wheel, said arms being provided with fastening devices engaging said attaching member and forming a means to secure the innermost section of the body in direct pressure contact with said attachin member and to rigidly connect the sections 0 the body, said arms being removable laterally from said grooves.

10. In a counterbalance for band wheel. shafts, a body of elongated formation and being provided in opposite sides thereof with longitudinal rooves, arms pivotally connected to said ody and adapted to be swung into said grooves, and an attaching member having means whereby the same may be se curedrigidly to the shaft of a band wheel, said. arms being provided with means to secure the inner end of said body in pressure engagement with said attaching member.

11. In a counterbalance for the shaft of a band wheel, an attaching member having means whereby the same may be secured rigidly to the shaft of a band wheel, and a body of elongated formation adapted for direct engagement with the attaching member,

the engaging portions of said body and said attaching member being provided with interlocking means, and arms pivotally connected to said body and having means whereby the 5 same may be connected to said attaching member to rigidly connect the body to the attaching member, said body being provided with grooves opening out through opposite sides thereof and detachably receiving said arms.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES H. BERGQUIST. 

